As You Walk On By
by corikane
Summary: Chloe is contemplating the events of the ICCA's finals and her feelings for a certain freshman.


**A/N: The characters are not mine but this story is. Don't kill me, though, I was in a mood (not a good one, obviously). The title is taken from _Don't You (Forget About Me)_ by Simple Minds (like I had to tell you). No copyright infringement and all that.**

* * *

She had always gotten everything she wanted. It was a reassuring notion yet a hard thing to confess. Her parents had never said 'no' to her, not when it came to things she really wanted and was willing to work for. In the end, the prize had always been hers. Maybe that was the reason why she was an essentially happy person in a world where so many people were discontent about something. And maybe a small grain of discontent would enter her life now because she couldn't - wouldn't - get the thing - the person - she desired most.

She was watching her from across the room, being all smiles, being pretty tipsy and all over the young man that had captured her... affection. Yes, Jesse was the lucky one, even though the Treblemakers had not won the competition he had won Beca's heart. And Chloe... she had won a trophy together with her fellow Bellas. And she knew she should be happy, and singing and dancing with her friends but she wasn't. There was a knot in her stomach where the happy feeling should have been. There was the slight inclination of a headache and a glassy-eyed admission that she had fallen for the wrong girl.

A straight girl? Who knew. But certainly straight enough to now be kissing the dark-haired Treble who grinned like he had won the world. From Chloe's point of view he had.

The redhead let her blue gaze stray over the room, a small bar in the heart of Manhattan where they had gathered to celebrate all things aca and the Bellas' win of the finals. The Bellas, the Trebles and some random singular people of other aca groups who didn't mind losing so much and just wanted to party. They were a strange combination of people in their performance attire, the Bellas in black and blue, the Trebles in their customary dark red blazers - color schemes that blended more into the background than the tuxedoes or dresses of other groups.

And everybody was having such a good time. And she should be, too. She smiled, yes. But she was not happy and whenever her gaze locked onto Aubrey's - who was ecstatic and dancing with Trebles like there were no wolves who ripped out vocal chords to be considered - the blonde looked almost reproachful because she knew. She had known in that moment when Beca had left her group behind to kiss Jesse, she had looked sideways at Chloe and she had known. They didn't need any words, they had both known for some time that Chloe had feelings for Beca. They had not talked and they didn't talk now. Maybe they would later but maybe they wouldn't.

Chloe sighed.

"Hey, Chloe-bear," said someone beside her, nudging her with an elbow. It was Amy, of course.

"Hey, Amy. Are you having a good time?" Chloe asked with a wide smile.

"Oh, yeah, man, the best. Did you see that guy who juggled the empty shooter glasses earlier? I will make him juggle something of mine later... he's good with his hands..." Amy winked at Chloe and the redhead laughed.

"Go for it," she said.

"I will. What about you? Does no one tickle your fanny?" Chloe blushed a little at the question, wondering if Amy had really wanted to ask what she was asking. She shook her head.

"Not really."

"Hm. What do you think of Beca and that Treble-kid, though? Wouldn't have thought she was falling for the obvious type," Amy mused and looked over at Beca and Jesse who were dancing together.

"What do you mean with obvious?"

"Ahh, you know - pretty boy, charming, a little conservative but still kinda cute. I would have thought Beca would go for a little bit more edgy... someone like Luke from the station," Amy explained.

"Luke?" Chloe could only ask, imagining the small brunette with the blond stud she worked for. And that was an even more disturbing image than the one before her - if that was at all possible.

"Well, yeah. I mean, he's hot and all... don't you think?"

"Not quite my type, really," Chloe countered.

"Yeah, I know, he talks a little funny. I hardly understand that guy but with looks like his he doesn't have to be witty or anything." Chloe merely nodded now. She didn't want to hear anything more of what Amy had to say. Sometimes words could be so demaging, even when they were just meant to be light conversation. She really liked Amy, like she did all her fellow Bellas, but at the moments all comments on Beca's lovelife seemed insensitive and Chloe felt a prickle behind her eyes. She gave Amy a small smile and pointed at the hall that let to the restrooms.

"Be right back," she said and Amy nodded before she joined some of her friends on the impromptu dancefloor they had created earlier.

* * *

When Chloe came back from the restrooms - where she had washed her face with cold water from the tap - she ran into Jesse who was juggling two cups of beer in his hands.

"Oh, sorry," he grinned at her and she answered him in kind. She was aware that it wasn't her usually bright smile but he wasn't.

"It's okay," she assured him as only very little of the golden-colored beverage had hit her.

"Congratulations, by the way. You did awesome tonight," Jesse congratulated her. Chloe had hoped that he would just saunter off, they had never had a conversation and she had hoped it would stay that way. He was a likable fellow, sure, he was probably the best choice of boyfriend any girl could make - any straight or bisexual girl, at least - but he was also the obstacle to her happiness, unknowingly, and that made her unwilling to talk to him.

"Thanks, Jesse, you were pretty great yourself... all the Trebles," she added, looking over at a group of the guys who were busy with some kind of drinking game.

"You guys were better, though. Man, when Beca started singing that song... it is kinda our song, you know," he grinned at her.

"Yeah, I know. Beca told us when we were rehearsing it," Chloe told him.

"Really? Wow, she's... opening up, isn't she? She's such a great singer, too. She's simply amazing, don't you think?" The redhead looked at the Treble who, in turn, looked over at Beca who was laughing about something Cynthia Rose was saying. Chloe felt inclined to tell him just how amazing Beca really was, how special. She almost choked at the words, knowing she wasn't to tell him anything. She probably shouldn't even talk to him. She took one of the two cups he was holding and took a long sip from it. He turned surprised eyes at her.

"That one was for Beca," he said dumbly.

"You can get her another," Chloe smiled after drinking half the cup in one go.

"Yeah, I guess," he said and turned to the bar then back to Chloe. He took a sip from his own beer and then grinned at Beca's friend. "You know, I was hoping that the Trebles and the Bellas could now lay their differences aside. I mean, with Beca and me dating... and everybody getting along so great..." he pointed at the room and the various combinations of Trebles and Bellas mingling.

"Well, that's already happening, I guess... but it's ultimately Aubrey's call. She's still the captain," her gaze fell on Aubrey who was standing in a corner, making out with Donald. "I guess that's a mute point then," she mumbled. Jesse next to her chuckled.

"I was also hoping... you're Beca's best friend and she's always talking about you... your opinion means a lot to her, you know..." Chloe turned toward Jesse who seemed to search for the right words. "... that we can be friends, maybe?" He grinned at her a little sheepishly. Chloe's eyes wandered from him to where Beca stood. The brunette looked up at that very moment and waved at her, smiling. She was so happy. And wasn't that really what Chloe wanted above all other things? That Beca was happy?

Chloe once again felt that tale-tell prickle behind her eyes and she closed them for a moment. Yes, she wanted Beca to be happy. And, after all, it was only a couple more weeks until graduation and she could be friends with Jesse for a couple of weeks. And then she would probably not have to see him again - unless Beca and she kept in touch which she hoped and dreaded at the same time. But even then she would probably have little to do with the Treble... unless... things progressed... but this was college. Nobody knew where relationships forged in the first year might end up. They could be breaking up within a month, they could be spending the next 50 years happily married. Who could tell? The question Chloe had to ask herself was if she wanted Beca in her life, even if it was 'only' as her friend. And that answer was easy:

"Yes, Jesse. Let's be friends," she told him a little stiffly but still smiling. And he didn't seem to find anything amiss in her answer. He grinned, then leaned in for a one-armed, rather awkward hug.

"Great," he gushed.

"Of course, if you should break my best friend's heart, the Bellas are going to retaliate by breaking your legs. Fair is fair," she told him and he looked a little scared for a second but then he saw her grin and laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. They were interrupted by the small brunette they had been talking about.

"Hey, where's my beer?" she asked Jesse and he pointed at Chloe. Beca looked at her friend questioningly.

"I was thirsty," the redhead defended herself, drinking the rest of the cold beverage down.

"You're lucky you're so pretty, red. I wouldn't just let anyone steal my booze," she told Chloe, smiling at her.

"Yeah, I'm so lucky that way," her friend confirmed, as it seemed to Beca, a little sarcastically. "Let's get another round. We haven't yet toasted to our victory anyways, so..."

"Let's do that," Beca readily agreed and lay an arm around Chloe's waiste. They turned toward the bar and the freshman waved at the barkeeper:

"Two for the pretty redhead and me. We got something to celebrate," she told him and then she smiled at Chloe. The redhead smiled, too, content knowing that the woman she loved was indeed happy.


End file.
